The few of us who actually still care about baseball were pretty disheartened to hear Milwaukee Brewers slugger and NL MVP Ryan Braun potentially tested positive for performance-enhancing drugs. While we’re reserving judgment until Braun’s appeal is heard, the Brewers’ left fielder has one big-time supporter in Green Bay Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers.
The quarterback is standing behind Braun, as he says, 100 percent.
“Ryan and I are good buddies, probably my best athlete friend. And we keep in touch obviously throughout the year I spend a lot of time with him. I was very surprised the news came out the way it did,” the Green Bay Packers quarterback said on his weekly radio show on ESPNMilwaukee and ESPNMadison Tuesday. “You would think that there would be some sort of confidentiality surrounding the situation, because he is appealing it.
“I 100 percent support Ryan and believe in him and it’s not going to affect our friendship in the least. I’m 100 percent supporting him and behind him and believe in everything that he says.”
Braun has maintained his innocence and there are said to be highly unusual circumstances surrounding his case. When he first tested positive, he immediately took another test that came up negative.
He’s currently appealing the ruling — which could result in a 50-game suspension — through an arbitrator. Unfortunately, no player in the history of Major League Baseball has ever successfully appealed a ruling like this. Braun appears to have as good a shot as anyone, though.
“I’ve known Ryan for a while now and we’ve spent a lot of time hanging out. I’ve been in the locker room and I’ve seen him working out and stuff. It’s just ridiculous, the allegations,” Rodgers said. “I think as much as he probably can’t say a whole lot right now, just the fact that he was willing to take a test right after that (says something).
“I don’t know exactly all that’s out there, but I just am trusting that my good friend has not been using anything illegal. And I’m very confident that’s the case, because I know how much he cares about the integrity of the game and wouldn’t do anything to jeopardize that.”
The jury, I guess, is still out. It’s good to see Rodgers standing by his friend, though.